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Theme: Staff and volunteers

Eamonn O’Neal appointed new High Sheriff of Greater Manchester

March 12, 2020 | 2:17pm

Eamonn O’Neal was formally announced by Buckingham Palace today and he will take up his ceremonial role next month.

The father-of-three, from Sale, has been a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester for six years.

He will be installed as High Sheriff at The Monastery, Manchester, on Friday, April 17, succeeding Mark Adlestone OBE DL whose term of office ends that day. He will hold office for 12 months.

Eamonn has been Chief Exectuive of St Ann’s since 2016 following a successful career in television, radio and newspapers.


It’s a huge honour and quite humbling to be chosen as the High Sheriff of Manchester. I’m grateful to have the chance to connect and engage with the charitable, voluntary, faith, ethnic, cultural and business communities across the county.


Eamonn O’Neal , Chief Executive of St Ann’s and the next High Sheriff of Greater Manchester

Eamonn O'Neal

The role Office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular title in British history and among the most ancient in the world, dating back more than 1,300 years.

At that time the Sheriff represented the monarch, collected taxes, raised armies and was the rule of law across the county.


I won’t be collecting taxes, or raising an army, but as High Sheriff I’ll be proud to represent the Queen as the ceremonial head of the judiciary in the county. I also regard this Royal appointment as recognition of the great work done by St Ann’s in looking after the communities of Greater Manchester for many years. St Ann’s is one of the oldest and largest hospices in the country and we’re about to celebrate our 50th anniversary. I’ll be dedicating the High Sheriff appointment to our patients, staff, families and volunteers and the other charities I work with.


Eamonn O’Neal , Chief Executive of St Ann’s and the next High Sheriff of Greater Manchester

Eamonn is also a trustee of The Dianne Oxberry Trust and The Diocese of Salford.

He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree by the University of Bolton in 2015 in recognition of his ‘outstanding contribution to the media and charity.’

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Lucie appointed as a Trustee of the British Lymphology Society

January 21, 2020 | 4:32pm

Lucie Casserley, a Physiotherapist based at our site in Little Hulton, has been a Lymphoedema Specialist for four years and works in our Lymphoedema Team. The British Lymphology Society is a body that provides support for those involved in the care and treatment of people with lymphoedema and related lymphatic disorders.


I am very excited to have the opportunity to get involved in the very valuable work that the BLS does to advance knowledge in the field of lymphology. Improving the expertise and skills of professionals caring for people with lymphoedema is something that I’m very passionate about and I’m looking forward to supporting the BLS in its drive to do this, for example by sharing information about the work that we do at St Ann’s with specialists across Greater Manchester and indeed throughout the UK.

The breadth of work that the BLS does is extremely impressive, as well as looking to improve standards of care, it promotes the importance of early access to treatment, early detection and where appropriate screening and prevention. I’m very honoured to have been appointed as a Trustee and am looking forward to helping this highly respected charity to achieve its objectives.



Lucie Casserley

As part of the Lymphoedema Team at St Ann’s Lucie provides specialist lymphoedema care across Stockport, parts of Greater Manchester, Bolton and South Cheshire. The team treats anyone with primary, secondary or venous insufficiency associated lymphoedema and patients with both cancer and non-cancer related lymphoedema. In addition, they also treat patients with lipoedema and lipo-lymphoedema and work closely with patients to promote self-care and management of their condition.

To learn more about the work of the British Lymphology Society and Lymphoedema, visit www.thebls.com.

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Why I’m taking part in the Manchester Marathon

December 20, 2019 | 3:16pm

Sometimes I still find it weird to say I’m a runner, I’m not the fastest in the world – but I’m still a runner. I started running as a hobby back in 2010 when I ran the Manchester 10k. Since then I have ran two more 10k’s, 15 half marathons and one marathon. So I guess I really am a runner!

Time has never really been important to me, but for my next run… it really is. I am taking part in the Manchester Marathon on Sunday 5th April and I’m determined to beat my time from London Marathon 2017 … of 5 hours, 17 minutes. I don’t even care if it’s 2 minutes faster, as long as I beat my time.

I told myself after the London Marathon that I would never run a marathon again. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, not just on the day itself – but all the training. It took over my life for a few months. But it was 100% worth it. I learnt massively that unless your legs physically break – you can carry on running. It’s definitely mind over matter, which I think I am an expert in now! Running a marathon is emotional, hard work but such a personal achievement.

I would say the main reason for me taking part in the Manchester Marathon is to raise money for St Ann’s Hospice. I started working for St Ann’s as the Fundraising Manager back in October 2018 and cannot begin to explain how proud I am to work for such a wonderful organisation. I meet incredible patients and families, volunteers, staff and fundraisers every single day. St Ann’s believes that everyone deserves the best, high quality care, which I agree with too and I honestly don’t know where we would be without our hospices.

I think one thing that will keep me going on the day is remembering the work we do and the difference we make to patients, their families, and loved ones. I remember when I was helping at the Manchester Half Marathon cheer point in October, a lady came over to me and gave me a huge hug and she said “thank you for the work you do, you looked after my brother and I’ll never forget it” – this meant so much to me and I’ll never forget that she did that. In fact, I am pretty sure her hug and words were what sealed the deal –because I signed up the following day because of it!

I am so excited to be part of Team St Ann’s at the Manchester Marathon in April. I can’t wait for the atmosphere, to run past the hospice cheer point and meet the other hospice runners.

Want to join Lucy and Team St Ann’s for the Manchester Marathon?

Find out more and sign up by clicking the link below.

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Pauline’s hand-knitted hearts

September 26, 2019 | 11:44am

L-R Lynsey Ayers, Julie Wilmouth, Pauline Barton, Jill Mulcahy, Kathryn Edwards

Pauline Barton delivered a box of beautifully hand-knitted hanging hearts to the hospice in Heald Green as a way to thank the staff and volunteers for the care given to her son-in-law, Colin Wilmouth, last year.


The care that Colin received at St Ann’s was amazing and made such a difference to the way he felt. We were a little concerned when Colin first went into the hospice, but we were all made to feel so welcome and comfortable. They also took care of us as a family and offered so much support to my daughter and Colin’s wife, Julie. These hearts are a way for me to express how grateful I am, and I hope they bring some smiles to all the nurses and doctors, volunteers and the rest of the team at St Ann’s


Pauline Barton


We all remember Colin well, and all of his family who were regular visitors at the hospice. It was so lovely to see Pauline and Julie again, and the hearts Pauline has given to us are beautiful. Gifts like this really mean a lot to us, as we know we’ve made a difference to our patients and their loved ones at a very difficult time in their lives.


Lynsey Ayers , Ward sister, one of the team who cared for Colin when he was a patient

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Staff and volunteers have been honoured at a special event in the city centre

September 20, 2019 | 9:56am

The celebration event, which was held at the offices of one of our supporters Eversheds Sutherland, celebrated a year of achievements here at St Ann’s.

Following the 50th Annual General Meeting of the Board of Trustees on Monday, staff and volunteers were presented with their long-service certificate and gift. The length of service ranged from 5 years to 30 years and it was a wonderful way for us to mark those amazing achievements and say thank you.

As well as the long service celebrations, we presented the annual Chair’s awards, which were presented by the hospice’s Chair of the Board Professor Jackie Oldham, to those who have gone above and beyond in upholding the hospice’s values over the last year. Congratulations to all the nominees.

The winners were:

Collaborative

Sam O’Reilly, Community Fundraiser

Tina Peel and Amanda Connors, Day Therapy

Innovative

Bobby Magee, Advanced Physiotherapist

Initiative

Alistair Culpan & Phil Bickerstaff, Facilities Managers

Together

Kelly Foster, Ward Manager

Vicky Finch, Ward Clerk

Lucy Leeming, Fundraising Manager

Team St Ann’s

HR Team

Community Specialist Palliative Care Team

Lottery Team

Volunteer Recognition Award

Judith Lacy, Fundraising Volunteer

Mitchell Brough, Fundraising Volunteer

Dr Barbara Murray, Medical Volunteer


I’m so proud to be part of a team that consistently provides such outstanding care and support to local patients and this event was a way of thanking just some of the people who make that possible. There’s an army of more than 700 local people who volunteer with the hospice, and we simply couldn’t continue to care for patients from our communities without them.  The event saw us present some of our volunteers with special awards for achievements, and for their fabulous long service to the organisation. Some have been volunteering with us for as long as 40 years, which is such incredible dedication.  We’re hugely grateful.


Eamonn O’Neal, Chief Executive of St Ann’s


As one of the oldest hospices in the country, we’re consistently evaluating, evolving and developing our services to ensure we can continue to provide care for the next fifty years too.  That’s never been so important, and it was great to gather together with colleagues to celebrate the achievements of the year gone by and look ahead to the next exciting phase in St Ann’s history.


Eamonn O’Neal, Chief Executive of St Ann’s

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Dorcas Hopley

July 5, 2019 | 3:13pm

Dorcas Hopley, one of our long standing volunteers, has recently died. Dorcas was a volunteer for around 10 years, doing lots of fundraising and helping in the Heald Green Coffee Shop. She also worked in catering for around five years in the 90s.

She stopped volunteering with us a while ago due to ill health, but her contribution over the years has been amazing.

We’re pleased to announce two new trustees who have joined our board of directors

July 5, 2019 | 2:33pm

We have appointed chartered accountant Darren Holt as our treasurer, and Melanie Ogden, a senior clinical leader with experience at strategic, primary and secondary care levels within the NHS as a trustee.

We care for thousands of people with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses every year from our three sites in Little Hulton, Heald Green, and The Neil Cliffe Centre in Wythenshawe Hospital, as well as via a range of community and outreach services.  The trustees of the organisation are all volunteers.

We are a registered charity and receive around a third of our funding from the NHS, with the rest – around £20,000 a day – fundraised thanks to the generosity of the local community.


It’s an exciting time at St Ann’s, as we approach our 50th anniversary in 2021, and we’re thrilled that Darren and Mel have agreed to join us as trustees. Each member of our board brings with them a unique set of skills and experience, and it’s vital we have the right people helping us to steer our ambitious plans for the business in the coming years. The organisation is certainly a complex one, with fourteen shops, a hospice lottery, and a range of fundraising activities running alongside the health and social care we offer to patients from across Greater Manchester and their families. The team at the hospice provides world-class specialist care at a time when people need it most, and as a board we’re proud to be part of such an outstanding and much-loved organisation. It’s great that Mel and Darren have joined us, and I’m sure they’ll play an important part in helping us ensure hospice care in Greater Manchester remains fit for purpose for many future generations to benefit from too.



Jackie Oldham, , Chair of the board


St Ann’s does wonderful work supporting patients and their families at what could be the worst of times, in such a way that ensures it is the best it can be. To be given the opportunity to help to sustain and hopefully extend that work is, in itself, an honour and I expect it will also be prove to be a pleasure.



Darrent Holt, Treasurer and trustee


I’m delighted to be joining the St Ann’s team who have a national reputation for caring. When I worked in the NHS we often talked about how we often met people at their most vulnerable and life changing point in their lives, and we tried to embody the values as set out in the NHS constitution – ‘compassion is central to the care we provide and respond with humanity and kindness to each person’s pain, distress, anxiety or need. We search for the things we can do, however small, to give comfort and relieve suffering. We find time for patients, their families and carers, as well as those we work alongside’.  I see that being put into everyday practice by the staff and volunteers at St Ann’s, and it’s an honour to be asked to join the board of trustees.


Mel Ogden, Trustee

Find out more about our Trustees

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Meet Our New Trustees Q&A – Darren Holt

June 27, 2019 | 5:39pm

Can you please tell us a bit about your background?

I was brought up in Blackpool but lived in Manchester since leaving university. I am newly married to Jude (a head of department at the hospice), have a daughter, Emily, at university in Sheffield, and two step children, Sean and Katie in primary school.

I have been a Chartered Accountant for over 25 years, working in the property/construction sector for nearly the last 20.

Why did you decide to join St Ann’s as a Trustee?

I had been wanted to put ‘something back’ into the community for a while and was thinking of maybe helping out with a local sports club but heard of the vacancy at St Ann’s and thought: “I could do that”.

Were you familiar with the hospice before you joined the Board?

Yes, as I said earlier, my wife, Jude, has worked at the hospice for over two years now.

What are you looking forward to most when it comes to working with St Ann’s as a Trustee? 

Working with a great team of people, everyone I have met has been so warm and friendly. Getting involved in moving the hospice agenda forward, particularly, given my experience, in assisting with the intended work on the hospice at Heald Green.

Have you met many people at the hospice yet?  What are your first impressions of the hospice?

I have met a good number so far but there are plenty more faces to be put to names heard over the dinner table.

My first impression has been one of a can-do attitude with a firm focus on friendliness, warmth and care.

Do you live locally?

I have lived near Altrincham for over 25 years. I arrived a couple of months after the first Metrolink tram, which seems an eternity ago now.

What do you think of St Ann’s reputation within local communities in Greater Manchester?

I think St Ann’s has a fantastic reputation, hard earned and deserved for all the great work it does and is looking to build upon.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

I love pretty much all sport, primarily football, being a lifelong Blackpool FC supporter. As I have got older the propensity to watch rather than play is increasing rather dramatically, but our golden retriever demands I maintain a healthy level of exercise as he loves a run in the countryside.

Can you please tell us a fact about yourself that not many people know?

I once had an interview for a student summer job that went so badly that not only did I not get the job but the interviewer refused to talk to my pal who was sitting outside ready to follow me in. Happily my interview skills improved soon enough thereafter.

Find out more about our other Trustees

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